- Beenleigh Rum
Beenleigh Rum is one of Australia's oldest brands of
rum . It is currently available in both dark and light rum grades. Both varieties are fermented fromsugar cane molasses . [Minsistry of Rum website [http://ministryofrum.realnets.com/rumdetails.php?r=107] ]History
The heritage-listed "Beenleigh Rum Distillery" is the oldest registered
distillery inAustralia , [Collections Australia Network [http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/org/986/about] ] [Gold Coast city council website [http://www.goldcoastcity.com.au/t_standard.aspx?pid=1085] ] and is a rare survivor of Australia's earlysugar industry. It commenced operations in 1884 [Beenleigh State School archive [http://www.beenleigss.qld.edu.au/aboutBeenleigh/about_Beenleigh.html#rum%20distillery] ] , and was the legal successor to a floatingmoonshine still , the "SS Walrus", which drifted between cane plantations evading police in the early 1800s. [Australian Good Food & Accommodation Guide [http://www.agfg.com.au/australia/qld/attractions-and-tourism/attractions/9219.htm] ]The
distillery was developed to include a blending hall, bottling plant, warehouse and administration facilities. [Gold Coast City Council newsletter [http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/enewsletters/20040215_yatala.htm#2] ] It is located on the bank of the Albert River inEagleby, Queensland (once a part of Beenleigh), and is a landmark on the river flats in the area.Over the years, the once famous "Beenleigh Rum" lost its prominent place in Australia to the British owned behemoth,
Bundaberg Rum . [True Wines, New Zealand website [http://www.truewines.co.nz/news.php?nt=2&nid=123034] ]In 2003, the "Beenleigh Rum"
brand name was sold toVok Beverages , a subsidiary ofAdelaide basedbeverage companyBickford's Australia .The historic "Beenleigh Rum Distillery" was sold to rival "Inner Circle Rum" in 2001 [ExtraOnline website [http://extraonline.com.au/stories/story/9975.html] ] for $2.7 million [Inner Circle Rum magazine [http://www.innercirclerum.com/images/news/ICR-Wish-Magazine.pdf] (PDF document)] . "Inner Circle" was, in turn, purchased by multinational
Lion Nathan in 2007. Lion Nathan now uses the Beenleigh distillery to produce rum under the "Inner Circle" brand. [The Courier Mail newspaper, 8 March, 2007. Story:"Inner Circle Rum sold" [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,21344940-3122,00.html] ] [The Age newspaper, 8 March, 2007. Story:"Lion Nathan in high spirits after buying Inner Circle" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/lion-nathan-in-high-spirits-after-buying-inner-circle/2007/03/07/1173166799345.html] ]As of 2007,
Vok Beverages was still distributing "Beenleigh Rum" in Australia, and remains 100% Australian owned.ee also
*Beenleigh (township)
*List of rum producers External links
* [http://www.vok.com.au/products/beenleighrum.html Vok Beverages]
* [http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/heritage/index.cgi?place=602470&back=1 EPA History of Beenleigh Distillery]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
